Like Gravity
by carnival-cafe
Summary: Just moments from being disposed of, Sousuke is saved by the desert wanderer Haruka. With Haruka as his new master, it doesn't take long for Sousuke to realize the kind of person he's dealing with. And yet despite Haruka's eccentric's being the cause of his frustrations, Sousuke can't deny the need he feels to protect and care for him. SouHaru, Slave AU, Splash Free AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Kouji Ouji, Hiroko Utsumi, Kyoto Animation.

 **Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, fluffy and also some mild OOC-ness… and timeskip's… If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

 **Music:** "Jai ho" by Pussycat Dolls

 **A/N:** 寞南 illustrated a breathtaking image of Sousuke and Haruka in a Splash AU which I came across on pixiv and from the looks of it, Sousuke is a slave. It was really inspiring and so I couldn't resist writing a story with that illustration in mind. Asdfghjkl.

X

X

The streets of Sano were loud and bustling with excitement no thanks to the crowd of people filtering in and out of the market place. The influx of merchants and shoppers alike wasn't an uncommon sight but having to socialize and immerse himself in the activities of window shopping and bargaining wasn't Haruka's ideal way of spending his time during his days off. However it was a necessary evil that had to be endured regardless, especially when the purchasing of provisions was in order and Haruka was in need to prepare for his journey to Samezuka the next day any ways.

Having left his camels back at the inn, Haruka had no choice but to lug his purchases one after another back and forth to his temporary living quarters. It was hard work yes, but well worth the aches and pains so long as his animals could be spared from the crowd.

Just as Haruka swung his last satchel of the day full of goods over his shoulder, he couldn't help but find himself being drawn to the sound of a whip followed by the unmistakable thud of a body falling to the ground. As Haruka turned his head towards the source, his gaze settled upon the form of a young man bent over with his head bowed low and his hands and ankles bound tightly in metal cuffs and chains. From the looks of it, he was a slave—a disobedient one at that since he was dumb enough to get himself punished for whatever pissed off the merchant selling him but even then Haruka couldn't find himself ignoring the issue as usual. Instead, his feet led him towards the man, his blue eyes taking in the other's sharp features. From the muscular build, dark unruly brown hair to the glaring teal eyes so full of fury Haruka didn't know how else to describe the intensity that was dripping off of him.

It didn't take long for Haruka to find himself standing in front of the slave. Looking down at him with his usual deadpan expression; it was no wonder how quickly the obviously larger male turned his glare up towards Haruka with obvious rage.

Despite the challenge in the other's narrowed eyes though, it didn't deter Haruka from making his decision and without another thought, he turned towards the merchant in question. "How much for this man?"

Haruka words startled everyone around him, including the slave. The merchant was especially flabbergasted by him. Shakily he somehow managed to composed himself though he gave Haruka a stern look afterwards. "Sir, this slave in particular is especially defiant, I wouldn't recommend purchasing him in the slightest." He said, switching his whip to his other hand. "Besides that, he has a permanent injury that makes him unsuitable for manual labor despite his appearance—and I was just in the process of disposing him and making him an example for the others." He explained heartlessly.

The merchant's cold words rang loudly in Haruka's ears. So he'd stepped in just in time to stop him, he realized—unconsciously breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Nevertheless, I have many others who you may be interested in." He continued talking, leading Haruka's gaze towards the cart full of slaves. "I'm sure you'll find one of them to your liking as opposed to this brute here."

Haruka however was far from fascinated by the slave merchant's other merchandises and ignored both of them with ease, returning his eyes to the slave still kneeling in front of him. "Its fine—I only want him." He pointed down at the man and was no sooner met by the sight of teal orbs widening in shock.

X

X

When the slave was released from his chains, the look of disbelief he wore made Haruka's heart pound suddenly. It was as if the other male was experiencing freedom for the first time in his life. Wordlessly, Haruka began leading the slave through the throngs of people to purchase him a new set of clothes to wear. It all went about silently and upon finally returning to the inn with their purchases did Haruka at last stop to speak to his new companion.

"What's your name?" Haruka asked after closing the door behind them. He watched the other male intently, observing the way he stood in the middle of the room as he surveyed nearly every nook and cranny of the inn space.

The slave, still in a daze much to Haruka's curiosity was slow to reply but Haruka didn't push for him to answer immediately. "Sousuke... Yamazaki Sousuke." He finally mumbled after his long train of silence.

"Sousuke, huh?" Haruka responded, rolling the name off his tongue. "My name is Nanase Haruka, I hope we can get along from now on."

"Y—yeah, I'm in your care master Nanase…" Sousuke said, turning to face Haruka fully now. Instead of being met by the impassive expression the young man seemed to wear for the last hour or so since they met though, Sousuke found Haruka pouting deeply at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "M—master?"

"Please don't call me master—Haruka will suffice so there's no need to be overly proper…" Haruka muttered lowly before walking past Sousuke with a huff of annoyance and leaving the slave utterly speechless. Settling down on the bed, Haruka continued to wear a pout but he eventually calmed down enough to being able to talk civilly again despite it sounding forced. With Sousuke as his new companion, it was only right that they begin getting to know each other. "So, mind explaining what your injury is?"

Haruka's voice sounded uninterested, even the way he sat lazily made Sousuke frown noticeably. He didn't want to say anything about it and had hoped that Haruka would have forgotten but being confronted now—what choice did he have? And so he sighed, reaching for his right shoulder and touching it gently. "It's nothing serious—I promise you I'm not an invalid."

"I never said that you were."

"I can work fine, it's just my shoulder hinders me sometimes, Master."

"Please call me Haruka." He said again, glaring lightly before finally standing up once more. Wordlessly, he went to stand in front of Sousuke, his blue eyes staring up at him as he placed his hand atop of the slave's shoulder. His actions startled Sousuke and he felt the bigger male quiver under his touch. It made Haruka blink, but he had the vague notion that Sousuke wasn't used to this and so he pulled his hand back until he let it fall to his side again. "It's okay. If you need to stop and rest just do it because I'd rather you not injury yourself further than you already have over the years."

"Master…"

"Again, it's Haruka…" He sighed, clearly getting tired now as he rubbed the sides of his temple.

Sousuke felt uncomfortable but seeing as how irritated his new master was getting no thanks to his refusal to call him by his first name, Sousuke supposed that it couldn't hurt to give it a try just this once. "H—Haruka…" He said, his voice shaking slightly. The sound of his master's name seemed to spark interest in Haruka, and the shorter male looked at him, clearly awed as his blue eyes just about sparkled under the room's light. Sousuke was taken aback because of it but he couldn't deny that there was something in the way Haruka looked at him which held him in place. "Is it really alright? Can I really call you Haruka?"

Haruka merely nodded. "Of course."

X

X

Haruka, for lack of a better word came off as strange to Sousuke. He disliked being addressed as master, preferring his given name and it outright confused the slave in the beginning since he wasn't accustomed to being familiar with anyone let alone his past masters. Then there was his obsession for dried mackerel… In less than a week of being under Haruka's ownership, not a day had gone by that the young man didn't have mackerel on his plate at least once every twenty-four hours.

As far as Sousuke was aware of, Haruka was a wanderer and since he'd been bought, Sousuke unsurprisingly enough was being brought along for whatever journey the blue eyed male was going on. And in this case it was to Samezuka.

Haruka didn't explain what his occupation was but from the times they stopped to rest and the items that were carried with them on their camels—it could be assumed that he was somewhere between a trader and an artisan. And a rich one at that.

Even though he was a slave, Sousuke didn't wait on Haruka's hand and foot like most probably would. In fact, they seemed to switch off on their tasks every other day—with Haruka doing chores one day then Sousuke having to do it the next. It alternated this way and even when Sousuke tried to help—Haruka refused to take it.

Before long, Sousuke couldn't help himself from confronting Haruka on the matter. He didn't look like the type to punish him either, so Sousuke had nothing to fear, or so he thought.

"I'm a slave, so it's my duty to serve you."

"That may be true but I don't want your help right now."

"Master, please."

"I said to call me Haruka."

The confrontation ended right then and there—and as usual Haruka walked away with a mischievous glint in his eyes. An indication that he knew Sousuke didn't have enough ammunition to keep the argument going.

Regardless of their squabbles though, Haruka was an exceptionally lenient master. A little too lenient if you were to ask Sousuke. The relationship between master and slave was almost nonexistent between them. And because of the lack of clear boundaries, it was probably why Sousuke butted heads so much with Haruka. That and Sousuke was waiting for the day when Haruka would snap and discipline him like all the other masters from his past—if ever that is.

Gritting his teeth, Sousuke glared to side while Haruka went back to ignoring him again by tending to the camels. The animals swarmed him, nuzzling him wherever they could and Haruka responded to their affection by feeding them a few dates and stroking them beneath their chins. Even though Sousuke was clearly irritated, it was difficult to stay angry with Haruka, especially when he wasn't doing anything to him with ill intentions.

Rather than feeling content on the matter, Sousuke for once felt an anxiousness unlike ever before. Haruka didn't make himself an easy person to read either and that in itself was frustrating for Sousuke if not frightening.

How was he supposed to fulfill his duties as a slave if his own master wouldn't let him?

X

X

Sousuke's frustrations continued to build up inside of him. He'd felt confident in his ability to hide his feelings but Haruka proved to be much more observant than he appeared.

Their relationship as master and slave continued in its odd ways but slowly, Sousuke began to notice the distance between them lessening more and more with each passing day. Traveling and resting in the desert together—the night especially made for escaping Haruka's company impossible due to the cool night air. In order to stay warm, Sousuke had no choice but to conserve his body heat by sleeping close to his master. That made things uncomfortable (at least on Sousuke's part) whereas Haruka didn't seem to mind the closeness of their bodies in the least. After the third day, Sousuke had grown less shocked about waking up to find Haruka nestled against him every morning.

When they finally arrived at an inn in Samezuka however, Sousuke jumped at the chance to take the floor—leaving Haruka with the bed. Unfortunately, Haruka didn't seem pleased at all by their sleeping arrangements and no sooner had Sousuke laid down on the cot made out on the floor that night did he find Haruka pouting at him from the bed.

Quirking a curious brow at his master, Sousuke made a disgruntled expression. "Huh? What's with you?"

Haruka, still frowning, picked up his pillow and embraced it tightly. He used it to hide the lower half of his face and began to mumble behind it as a result. "I don't want you to sleep on the floor."

"Huh? Then where do you expect me to sleep?"

This time Haruka glared at him, as if insulted by his question. "I want you to sleep up here with me on the bed." He retorted, patting a spot on the rough mattress next to him.

"And what if I refuse?" Sousuke asked, curiously watching his master intently.

Haruka stared long and hard at Sousuke afterwards. He didn't seem to have an answer, which disappointed Sousuke a little and before long he shifted under the blankets, turned onto his side with his back to him and laid down on the bed without another word—frustrating his slave even more.

Sousuke couldn't help himself from growling lowly at Haruka's childish display though his response was easily disregarded by the other male. As difficult as Haruka could be though, Sousuke had to admit to himself that the other male was by far the best master he'd ever had.

So what was he doing trying to get away from him he began to wonder?

Sighing heavily, Sousuke shook his head in defeat and got up slowly. Approaching the bed, he saw that Haruka still had his back to him and although the other's continued stubbornness was irritating, it did very little to stop Sousuke from lifting up the covers and slipping into the bed next to him. He watched Haruka's back for any sign of change, waiting for as long as an hour until his eyelids began to grow tired with sleep. Just as Sousuke was on the verge of nodding off, only then did Haruka move to face him again. With his eyelids heavy, Sousuke's eyes finally fell closed, however his hands reached out, and he wrapped his arms around Haruka's frame the moment the smaller male adjusted his body to fit around Sousuke's.

Under the cool desert nights, Sousuke had grown used to sleeping with his arms around Haruka. It'd been a surprise at first and he was certain that he could go without it once they'd made it to civilization but now that they were sheltered in a room, with the luxuries of a bed and warmth—Sousuke didn't feel so convinced anymore.

X

X

Sousuke, no sooner upon arriving in Samezuka slowly came to understand the kinds of friends that Haruka had. But of all the acquaintances Haruaka had, the prince of Samezuka himself—Matsuoka Rin stood to be Haruka's most powerful ally as well as the first of many that he would meet during their stay.

Rin had appeared in disguise on the second day after their arrival to the inn and the first thing the redhead did was tackle his poor master in a fit of excitement. The scene had been both shocking and comical though the former was still at the forefront of Sousuke's mind as Rin made himself comfortable in their humble room.

"Why didn't you come straight to the palace, Haru?" Rin asked, crossing his arms against his chest. "You know you're more than welcome to stay with me rather than in this place." He commented, looking around the chamber. "And there's plenty of room for your slave as well—what's your name?"

Sousuke bowed now that the prince's attention fell on him. "Sousuke, Yamazaki Sousuke."

Haruka on the other hand remained expressionless and deadpanned as ever to the prince's words—unsurprisingly to Sousuke and the slave couldn't help but roll his eyes at him because of it. "I appreciate the offer Rin, but staying here makes getting customers easier than if I were to come and go from the palace." He explained, looking away. "And besides, it'll be troublesome if people were to question me too much on how I'm able to enter your home so freely."

Rin sighed exasperatedly before lying flat on the bed, his bright red eyes staring up at the speckled ceiling. "Haru—you can just live with me for all I care! Stop your wanderings and stay here in Samezuka! I know for a fact that you have no intentions of returning home to Iwatobi anyways, so why don't you settle down here for a change? I'm sure it'll be good for you."

At that moment, the mention of Haruka's home sparked interest in Sousuke and he turned to his master almost immediately, waiting for his response. Although he'd grown somewhat used to Haruka's personality—his master in actuality spoke very little about himself, let alone his past. What Sousuke had managed to learn over the course of Haruka's short ownership over him—he'd learned from observation alone and through small talk whenever Haruka _did_ feel like talking. But then again, Sousuke himself wasn't the most talkative person either. So Haruka was just as much in the dark as he was, though Sousuke now had his suspensions, what with Haruka's obvious friendship with the prince and the fact that the said royal had snuck out of his palace and was hiding out in their inn room.

Haruka, no sooner became quieter than usual, only managing to reply in a worn out voice that left even Sousuke somewhat astonished. "That isn't what I want though…" He murmured.

"Huh?!" Rin shot up, making a disgruntled face at Haruka. "What's that supposed to mean? Wasn't leaving Iwatobi what you wanted?"

Sousuke saw the way Haruka shook his head in disagreement. Little by little, he shrank into himself, hugging his legs tightly against his chest. He looked small all of a sudden and it was the first time Sousuke had ever witnessed Haruka in such a distraught state. The image would forever be imprinted into his mind, Sousuke was certain and instantly he felt a strong need to protect the other male.

Without meaning to, Sousuke turned his gaze towards Rin, glaring accusingly at him.

Rin noticed the change in Sousuke and although he was taken aback, his worry for Haruka was overpowering. "H—hey, now's not the time to get depressed!" Rin exclaimed then, his hands moving frantically in front of him. "Come on, cheer up Haru! I-if you don't want to live here, that's fine, really it is! Just know that if you do decide to stay in Samezuka that you'll always have a place with me!"

Haruka just barely managed a nod in response but Rin's previous words still lingered in his thoughts. His continued distress made Rin feel guilty now but what's done was done and Rin sighed dejectedly at having ruined the mood.

It was then that Sousuke finally stepped in and boldly he sat beside Haruka before placing a hand on his head. The sudden weight led Haruka to look up at Sousuke slowly and as their eyes met, Sousuke managed a reassuring smile as he gently swept his master's bangs aside.

Rin silently watched the exchange unfold in front of him, confused at first but from where he sat; it was more than obvious that his dear friend was being comforted. Frowning, Rin knew he'd have to leave sooner or later. Just the thought of his attendants running amuck most likely since he had been gone for quite a while now was starting to give him a headache and so with a heavy sigh, Rin stood up—seeing as his presence was already being ignored.

"Ne, Haru?"

"Hmm?"

"When you're up to it, don't forget to stop by the palace." Rin said, smiling warily. "The others will want to see you—Gou and Nagisa especially and it'd be nice if we can all get together like old times."

"I'll be sure to do that. It'll be… it'll be nice to see them again…" Haruka replied, trying not to hesitate but he couldn't help himself from stumbling around with his words, the feeling of uncertainty brewing beneath his façade.

Rin, still worried gave him a nod anyways. "I'm holding you to it. And if you happen to leave the city without doing so, I'll have Seijurou hunt you down and take you prisoner. And while I'm at it, I'll even appoint Nagisa as your personal warden." He grinned mischievously. "You wouldn't want that now would you?"

From the very mention of Nagisa's name alone, Haruka stiffened up instantly. Just imagining Nagisa and whatever forms of torture he would have in mind for him sent a chilling sensation running up his spine. Without meaning to, Haruka quivered from the mental imagery. "Please, anything but that…"

Rin laughed out loud as a result, clearly amused by his friend's reaction. Sousuke on the other hand just stared between the two as he continued to sit next to Haruka, baffled but from what he could see, the interaction was all in good fun. When Rin finally took his leave after a parting farewell, silence returned to the room but along with it was Haruka's earlier sadness. Sousuke understood how it came about but soothing it proved to be another matter in and of itself. He'd hoped that Haruka would want to talk it out—maybe even occupy himself with something, just to take his mind off of whatever was bothering him. But instead, Haruka laid there in the bed, his blue eyes seemingly staring off into nothing.

* * *

 **A/N:** I got ticked off at myself and chaptered it. Asdfghjkl. Expect chapter 2 at some point ;w;


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Kouji Ouji, Hiroko Utsumi, Kyoto Animation.

 **Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, fluffy and also some mild OOC-ness… and timeskip's… If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

 **Music:** "Lapis Lazuri" by Eir Aoi

 **A/N:** I bet you weren't expecting such a fast update, huh? ;3

X

X

Haruka didn't eat. Or rather he'd lost his appetite entirely as far as Sousuke could tell after his meeting with Rin. Even when Sousuke laid out dried mackerel with their lunch, Haruka didn't even try lifting a finger for the plate much to Sousuke's dismay. Instead, he eyed the food solemnly, uninterested before he buried himself under the bedcovers for the next couple of hours. Sousuke tried again in the hopes of getting him to eat something during dinner but the most Haruka could force down was a few measly bites and drinks of water.

Haruka continued the same process the next day, worrying Sousuke even more since he was adamant about opening shop for a few hours. His decision came as a shock to Sousuke.

Was Haruka really feeling up to it?

Would he be able to do his work despite not feeling well?

It terrified Sousuke, and being worried for his master, Sousuke tried to stop him, or at least reason with him. Unfortunately, the look of annoyance Haruka wore after he voiced his concerns made Sousuke give up the fight within an inch of losing his temper, however he kept close to Haruka afterwards—observing his behavior just in case.

They set up a tent at the edge of the marketplace, but there was no actual stall. In its place however, Haruka had a large tarp laid out on the ground and on top of it were his wares, many of which were imports from wherever Haruka had traveled to before purchasing Sousuke in Sano. Customers came through like a hurricane—many of them interested in what Haruka had to offer. His small wood carvings and shell necklaces were especially popular amongst the children and women and when asked where they'd come from, Sousuke was surprised to learn that Haruka had made them himself from raw materials gathered from his homeland of Iwatobi.

When hours had passed and a good portion of Haruka's jewelry and small knickknacks had been sold, Sousuke was dumbfounded to find his master frowning ever so slightly while they packed his wares. "Is there something wrong?" He asked, concerned for him.

Haruka sighed in response. "Not really, it's just I'll need to replenish my stock." He replied, tying up a satchel. "This tends to happen. No matter how many I manage to make before each trip it always runs out..."

"Isn't it a good thing though? It shouldn't be that surprising really." Sousuke commented, as he began taking the tent down. "Overtime your work will go out of stock eventually so it shouldn't come as a shock when you run out due to popularity and need to make more."

Haruka gave him a perplexed look. It took Sousuke by surprise too and seeing the other's expression, Haruka quickly looked away with a huff. "I suppose you're right but it gets troublesome when I have to travel back home to get the material I need."

This time Sousuke couldn't help but furrow his brow at Haruka as he tried to understand the logic behind his words. "If that's the case then why are you doing this in the first please?"

"Because I want to..." Haruka muttered, clearly unwilling to explain himself.

Haruka's words didn't sound all that convincing to Sousuke anyways and it made his frown deepen. It was obvious that his master was dodging him with his vague answers and that upset Sousuke considerably. "Then what is it that you plan to do since you seem so adamant in not returning home to restock your shells?" He countered challengingly.

And this time Haruka shot a menacing glare at him, biting his lower lip which Sousuke noticed was beginning to tremble.

Sousuke in reaction however, scowled back at him, unwilling to back down. He half expected Haruka to lash out at him for his disobedience this time but instead, his master proceeded to finish whatever he was doing and in the process flat out ignored him. Without saying a word, Haruka within minutes left Sousuke to finish the rest of the packing by himself and from where he stood, Sousuke was downright appalled by Haruka's childish behavior.

He was an adult, right?

Whatever the case, Sousuke finished putting away their things and squaring them away in due time without Haruka. However the repeated lifting of boxes and goods left his right shoulder sore from the stress of doing all the work by himself.

Upon returning to the inn, Sousuke did his best to disguise the pain pulsing up and down his arm—going so far as to grumble at Haruka's form lying lazily on the bed. He heard Haruka snort at him, but Sousuke brushed it off in favor of dragging himself over to the basin of water that was in the corner of the room. Reaching for the towel hanging on the wall with his good arm, Sousuke dropped the cloth into the basin to soak. Carefully, he pulled off his loose shirt, being mindful of his sore shoulder as he gritted his teeth tightly and held back a wince. Once he was free from the shirt, Sousuke threw it to the side on top of his satchel. Afterwards he looked back down at the basin, reaching into the container and grabbing the towel. When he pulled it out of the water, he proceeded to wring it out as best he could of the excess liquid. Once he was satisfied, he then began wiping the sweat and grime from his face, neck and upper body.

The towel was cool and refreshing against his skin. Sousuke enjoyed the feeling very much in fact, and closed his eyes for a moment. He took his time wiping himself down, saving his shoulder for last but as he moved his hand towards the sore area, he couldn't help but feel nervous somehow.

Feeling as if eyes were staring at the back of his head, Sousuke decided to take a peek over towards where Haruka laid and he was met by the sight of his master sitting up on the bed with wide blue eyes. The two of them ended up just staring silently at each other and eventually Haruka decided that enough was enough and within moments stood up from the bed and walked towards him with purpose.

"Your shoulder, it looks painful."

Immediately Sousuke's whole body whipped around, and he stared at Haruka in shock. "How do you know?"

This time it was Haruka's turn to frown. "It's an angry red—it wasn't difficult to not notice." He replied, getting closer to him. "It was my fault you're hurt, wasn't it?"

Sousuke just shook his head. "Its fine, I can take care of it."

"I made you do all that work by yourself though." Haruka insisted, ignoring his words of assurance. "At least let me help you."

"I told you, its—"

Haruka didn't seem to want to hear Sousuke's excuses though and instead gripped his hand tightly which left Sousuke speechless and unable to finish his sentence. "Please, Sousuke..."

Sousuke wanted to say no at first but the troubled expression Haruka wore was disheartening even for him. With a heavy sigh, Sousuke nodded his head stiffly in agreement, handing the towel off to Haruka which he took back gently. In a circular motion, Haruka rubbed the towel against his shoulder as gently as possible. Despite how careful Haruka was though, Sousuke couldn't help but wince when one dab in particular hit a raw nerve. This made Haruka stop just moments from pressing the towel against his skin again.

As he stared down at the shorter male, he could see the way Haruka's eye's fell to the ground guiltily.

"I'll be alright—really."

"But if I hadn't been so stubborn this wouldn't have happened…"

Sousuke couldn't find himself arguing against that part and he hummed in agreement. "You're right, you were being childish and I had to pay the price because of it."

Haruka pouted at him. "Are you trying to rub more salt into the wound?"

"Maybe." Sousuke's eyes glinted, the corner of his mouth lifting up into a lopsided grin.

"How kind of you." Haruka mumbled, depositing the towel back into the basin to soak again in the cool water.

"Just doing my job as your servant."

"No more jabs, I don't want to keep arguing with you today, Sousuke…" Wringing out the water from the towel, Haruka then proceeded to press the wet cloth against Sousuke's shoulder. "Does it feel good?"

"Heavenly…" Sousuke replied with a content sigh, enjoying the cool sensation of the towel against his heated shoulder.

Although the look of satisfaction was obvious to see on Sousuke's visage, Haruka still felt deeply guilty for what he'd done. "I'm sorry that I caused you such pain…"

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Haruka—honestly, this isn't the first time nor will it be the last." Sousuke tried to reason. "And besides, this is minor, I've actually had worst experiences in the past because of this shoulder of mine."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Haruka glared softly at him, the pressure against Sousuke's shoulder lightening as he pulled the towel away.

Sousuke however just shrugged, taking the wet cloth from Haruka's grasp only to press it against his shoulder himself. "You can look at it that way if you want."

"Still…" Haruka's dejected mindset continued.

"You're the only master who has ever apologized to me." Sousuke admitted; his voice quiet but clear enough for Haruka to hear. "You're the only one who has been the closest to me, who has cared about me, I suppose but you're also the most frustrating one I've ever had."

"What are you talking about? Are you saying that I shouldn't care about you?" Haruka's deep blue eyes stared up at him, wide and mesmerizing him in a way that Sousuke couldn't describe. "That's stupid—if you honestly thought I wouldn't care about you, you're stupid."

Well that did it, Sousuke thought as he watched Haruka begin turning around to head back towards the bed. He was walking away from him and just the thought of it suddenly frightened Sousuke. Without thinking, Sousuke's free hand shot out only to catch Haruka by the wrist. Unfortunately, because of his recklessness, the sudden movement of his free hand extended towards his shoulder; the one causing him discomfort and as a result he grunted from the sharp pain. Stumbling forward, Sousuke managed to keep himself from falling on top of Haruka, however he had no choice but to lean against him for support.

Panting, Sousuke slowly moved to press his forehead against Haruka's shoulder. Haruka in turn, although surprised, nevertheless wrapped his arms around Sousuke, steadying him as best he could. Being so close to his master, Sousuke felt as though he was being anchored to him and he was reassured by that as he closed his eyes.

"Sousuke, stay with me." Haruka whispered in Sousuke's ear as he began helping him towards the bed. "You're going to be fine."

It took until he was laid out on his back for Sousuke to register that he had been moved. Looking up at Haruka, he saw the way concerned blue eyes stared down at him and when Haruka's hand moved to cup his cheek, he couldn't help but smile softly at the gesture. "That's funny, and here I thought I was taking care of you. When did we switch places?" He asked, closing his eyes again.

"We're companions—it's only natural that we take care of each other." Haruka replied, sweeping Sousuke's bangs off to the side, his touch feather light against his tan skin.

"Companions huh? Last time I checked, I was your slave." He mumbled.

"Stop it already, you're not just a slave."

"Then what am I to you?" Sousuke persisted, wanting to keep the conversation going as he opened his eyes now.

The blank countenance Haruka wore was disconcerting to Sousuke. And the fact that he was taking his sweet time answering him only served to grate on his nerves even more.

What did Haruka truly think of him?

Why was he bought in the first place?

What could Haruka be thinking?

And just what in the world made Haruka tick?

Sousuke wanted to understand those things, but from the way Haruka shook his head at him—it became obvious that he wasn't going to have those questions answered. Not yet it seemed. Or maybe not at all, he feared.

"Just rest, okay?" Haruka replied instead, his voice gentle as he touched his cheek again. "I'll fetch you something to eat, so stay put."

"No but—"

"Rest." Haruka said sternly, this time getting up and walking towards the door without waiting to hear what else Sousuke had to say.

Alone in the room, Sousuke clenched his fists tightly and glared up at the ceiling. Haruka truly was frustrating. The kindest person he'd ever met as well as the cruelest if he could make Sousuke feel so twisted and conflicted inside.

X

X

Even though he was far away from the room, Haruka felt his heart pound in his chest as he moved about the inn's small kitchen. The owner had been kind enough to let him use the space and as he stirred a pot of bowling soup over an open flame, his thoughts kept traveling towards Sousuke.

When they had first met, Haruka had the vague notion that Sousuke was assertive but he hadn't expected him to be so brutally forthright either. He had a tendency to act sarcastic on some occasions and his attitude made him fearless. Because of that, there was confidence in the way he held himself. And he was most definitely unafraid of Haruka no thanks to that aspect and it was a known fact that Haruka would never follow through with punishing him. Haruka just couldn't see himself even trying to no matter how often Sousuke offended him.

It just wasn't right to him.

Whatever the case, Sousuke's presence was comforting for him as well as frightening but only because he made Haruka feel so small sometimes. He didn't regret buying him in Sano though; that much Haruka was sure of and he hoped Sousuke would continue to stay with him the longer they traveled together.

Hope…

Just thinking about that word began to turn Haruka's mood sour.

Sighing to himself, Haruka finally managed to finish cooking the hearty pot of soup. He ladled two bowls of it, setting aside some bread along with it and leaving the rest for whoever happened to want any—he didn't particular care. Settling the meal on a long tray, he then made his way back to his room silently. Opening the door was a factor that went unaccounted for but luckily there was someone in the hallway to help him. Once Haruka managed to get back inside, he found a bored looking Sousuke and snorted at the male's display.

"I'm back." Haruka said.

"I can see that."

Haruka went to place the tray on the floor next to the bed. "Sit up, will you?" He asked, bending down to grab a bowl.

Sousuke did as he was told, using the pillows to help prop himself up. When he was finally comfortable, he was dumbstruck to find a spoonful of soup being placed in front of his face and from that spoon, he found himself staring at a very expectant Haruka.

"Open your mouth."

"E-excuse me?!" Sousuke practically shrieked. "What are you doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm feeding you."

"I'm not an invalid you know?" Sousuke grumbled, clearly irritated now. "I can feed myself just fine."

"Didn't I say not to argue with me anymore today?" Haruka glared at him. "Just let me feed you."

Conflicted, Sousuke just shook his head no, feeling the heat crawl up the back of his neck as Haruka grew more impatient with him. For goodness sakes, he was not a child anymore...

"Sousuke, swallow your pride, damn it ." Haruka began to seethe. "I don't care what you think, traditions be damned for all I care—now open your mouth so that I may feed you. I will not have you starve just because of your stubbornness."

The threat in Haruka's voice was certainly a shock, one Sousuke hadn't expected to encounter at all. Actually, he didn't think Haruka even had it in him to act in such a manner. And seeing the determination burn in his deep blue eyes, Sousuke couldn't help himself from being drawn in by them. Before he even realized it, he'd opened his mouth, allowing Haruka to slip the spoonful of soup in.

The taste of the broth burst throughout Sousuke's mouth. And when he began to chew, he was struck to find himself tasting chicken.

"Is it good?"

Sousuke swallowed his mouth full of soup. "I-It's… It's delicious…" He admitted, the tips of his ears burning with embarrassment.

"I'm glad to hear that." Haruka replied, dipping the utensil back into the bowl to spoon more of the soup. "Ahh."

"You really are making me feel like a child though…"

Haruka shot him a stern look. "That's enough out of you for one day."

Sousuke couldn't bring himself to continue arguing, nodding his head in defeat as he resigned himself to his fate. It was certainly a peculiar situation he'd gotten himself into, he thought, opening his mouth and eating more of the delectable soup. Peculiar indeed…

At some point, Sousuke managed to finish his food begrudgingly, Haruka never once letting him try to feed himself. The few moments that Sousuke did try to take the spoon from him, he was met with fierce opposition, leaving him tongue tied and kicked to the curb like a dog with its tail between its legs while Haruka glared him down. It was similar to how a mother would scold her child and in this case, the child was Sousuke.

Haruka, after tending to Sousuke, went ahead and ate his own dinner which Sousuke suspected had gone cold but his master didn't seem to care, finishing his own food anyways without a single complaint. Haruka checked his shoulder, soaking the towel again and using it to ease some of the pain. Sousuke appreciated the gesture greatly but he didn't voice this; not even knowing where to begin let alone how to properly thank Haruka for what he'd done for him thus far. Whatever the case, Haruka didn't bother asking for a thank you either and so Sousuke left it at that.

It was only when Haruka crawled into the bed and laid beside him did Sousuke thought again to thank him. However as he opened his mouth to speak, the words couldn't come up, leaving Sousuke sitting there and staring at the blue eyed man while looking like a fish out of water. It was thoroughly embarrassing although the confusion was evident on Haruka's face, it didn't take long for him to make a chuckling noise. No sooner did the sound reach Sousuke's ears, Haruka decided at the next moment to press his face into the pillow, concealing his expression from the other male the second he turned to look down at him.

Fending sleep, Sousuke gave into his cowardice, keeping silent but the previous thoughts still lingered in his mind. Long after Haruka fell asleep, still unaware that Sousuke had yet to slumber himself, Sousuke slid his body down so that he could lay on his back instead of continuing to be propped up against the pillows. He was closer to Haruka this way and turning his head towards him, Sousuke was puzzled by the way his master looked as if he were frowning in his sleep.

It was worrying and from his perspective, saddening.

Sousuke had a few ideas as to why that was so, mostly having himself to blame but the murmuring coming from Haruka caught him off guard and his ears strained to listen. Inching a little closer, he just barely managed to catch the word's, 'Makoto' and he made a slight noise.

A name?

Obviously, Sousuke had no idea who that was.

A friend?

A relative?

A lover even?

The last one left Sousuke a little shaken though, however the possibility of it being true was just as plausible, he couldn't deny.

Still, the thought made him uncomfortable. Closing his eyes, Sousuke hoped he could get through the hours before sun rise peacefully but Haruka didn't seem to want to let him as he scouted closer to his companion. It was like Haruka was searching for something, maybe even someone from the way he pressed against Sousuke's side and hung onto his arm. And observing the way Haruka curled up into a ball, whimpering quietly, Sousuke couldn't find it in him to push his master away and instead he moved closer, pressing his nose into Haruka's hair as he closed his eyes again and sighed shakily.

* * *

A/N: I made an outline but I'm pretty sure I'll improvise wherever once I start writing because I did that here! Ku, fu, fu, fu.


End file.
